Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to electrical connector assemblies. At least one embodiment generally relates to a floating connector assembly movably mounted to a support structure permitting connection even when the supporting structure are misaligned. At least one embodiment of the present invention generally relates to a staggered contact pattern to afford a compact connector envelope while maintaining large contacts and wire gauge.
Today, connector assemblies are utilized in a variety of applications and fields. Exemplary fields including, but are not limited to, telecommunications, internet applications, personal computers and the like. Exemplary applications include, but are not limited to, connecting components, boards and cards in computers, servers, networks and the like. One exemplary style of connection involves interconnecting rack and panel assemblies, also referred to as xe2x80x9cdrawer connectors.xe2x80x9d
Often, connector assemblies are utilized with a plug connector mateable with a receptacle connector, each of which is mounted to some form of support structure. By way example only, one of the plug or receptacle connectors may be mounted to a subassembly, component, card, panel or circuit board, while the other connector may be mounted to a bulkhead or rack assembly that holds the card, panel, board, component or subassembly. Alternatively, the plug and receptacle connector halves may both be mounted to panels, cards or circuit boards. As a further exemplary alternative, one connector half may be provided on a rack, while the other connector half may be provided on a panel. The rack assembly may have slots or carriages that receive panels, cards or boards carrying signal and/or power components. The slots or carriages may loosely receive the panel, card or board and not necessarily guide a panel, board or card in a close tolerance along a slot or carriage path. The loose tolerance within the slot or carriage permits the board, card or panel to move slightly in the lateral and vertical directions transverse to the length of the slot or carriage path. The panels, cards and boards may also become slightly turned when loaded into the slot or carriage. Consequently, when panels, cards or boards are slid into a rack assembly, the connector on the panel, card or board may not precisely align with the mating connector on the rack assembly.
Heretofore, misalignment has been addressed by mounting the connector assemblies to the rack assembly via an intermediary separate mounting apparatus. The mounting apparatus permits the connector mounted on the rack assembly to move relative to the rack assembly within a limited tolerance. The limited motion offered between the rack assembly and a connector thereon may also be referred to as xe2x80x9cfloatxe2x80x9d. The connector mounted to the rack assembly may be a plug, a receptacle or any other type of connector component. The connector mounted to the panel, card or board is directly, fixedly and rigidly secured in a non-floating arrangement. The rigid connection of the connector to a panel, card or board is simply referred to as xe2x80x9cboard mountedxe2x80x9d.
However, conventional mounting apparatus that permit float between a connector and a rack assembly require additional hardware, in addition to, and separate and apart from, the connector housing. For instance, the mounting apparatus may include one or more brackets with oversized holes provided therein. Nuts and bolts or screws secure the bracket to the connector and to the rack assembly. The holes through the bracket are larger than the bolts or screws to permit movement therebetween, thereby affording float. In addition, conventional mounting apparatus often utilize springs to bias the connector to one extreme position along a float range, while still permitting the connector to move. The additional hardware of the brackets, springs, nuts, bolts and screws in rack and panel or drawer connections is disadvantageous.
Moreover, the power and signal requirements of connector assemblies continue to grow more demanding, as does the requirement for smaller and more compactly designed contact layouts. Conventional connectors that utilize multiple contacts typically arrange the contacts in a pattern, in which the contacts are aligned next to one another with a set, uniform amount of insulated housing material provided between adjacent contacts. Exemplary patterns include contacts arranged in rows and columns. The contacts in each row are provided in cavities that are separated by the insulated housing material of a desired thickness. The contact cavities in each column are also separated by insulated housing material of a desired thickness.
In conventional contact pattern layouts, the overall envelope of the connector assembly is defined in part by the number of cavities, the dimensions of each cavity, and the number and size of the gaps between cavities in each row and column. For example, the width of a conventional contact envelope is at least equal to the width of each cavity times the number of cavities in one row plus the width of each insulated space between cavities times the number of spaces between the cavities. Similarly, the height of a conventional contact envelope is at least equal to the cavity height times the number of cavities in a column plus the thickness of the spaces between cavities in a column times the number of spaces in a column. The contact size in part determines the height and width of the cavities, as well as determining the size or gauge of wire connectable thereto.
In the past, in order to reduce the size of the connector envelope, it was necessary to use smaller contacts and smaller gauge wire. The contact size and wire gauge limit the power delivery capability of the connector. Hence, in high-power applications, it is desirable to maintain the contact and wire size as large as possible. It is also preferable to provide contact layouts that have high heat dissipation properties, such as for use in high current applications.
In addition, past connector designs have attempted to minimize the connector envelope by using multiple contact shapes and configurations within a single connector housing. However, it was necessary to develop separate tooling for each contact shape and configuration.
A connector assembly is needed that affords self-alignment between the receptacle and plug when the support structures are mis-aligned, without requiring separate connector mounting apparatus. A contact pattern is needed that is compact, yet is able to afford larger contacts connectable to a large gauge wire, thereby affording high power capacity and beneficial heat dissipating qualities. A connector design is also needed that affords symmetric mating areas that allow one contact design to be used to populate all positions in the connector housing.
The goals and objectives of at least certain embodiments of the present invention are to satisfy the needs and overcome the problems discussed above, as well as additional problems that will become apparent from the foregoing explanation and following detailed description, claims, abstract and drawings.
A connector assembly is provided that is floatably mounted to a mounting structure. The connector assembly includes a mounting structure having a connector opening therein that includes an inner contour. A connector housing is provided with peripheral surfaces having an outer contour shaped to loosely fit in the inner contour of the mounting structure. The connector housing is slidable inserted into the opening in the mounting structure. A chamber is provided in the connector housing that is adapted to securely retain at least one contact. At least one latch beam is formed with the connector housing. The latch beam engages the opening in the mounting structure and floatably secures the connector housing to the opening in the mounting structure. A float gap is provided between the inner contour of the opening and the outer contour of the connector housing to enable relative movement therebetween.
In accordance with at least one embodiment, the latch beam is formed integral with, and projects outward from at least one peripheral surface of the connector housing. Optionally, a plurality of latch beams may be spaced about the peripheral surfaces of the connector housing. Alternatively, a pair of latch beams may be raised on opposite sides of the connector housing and oriented diagonally opposed from one another.
In accordance with one embodiment, guide pockets are located within and arranged along side the chamber that retains the contacts. The guide pockets are adapted to receive guide pins formed on the mating connector housing. The guide pins and pockets cooperate to ensure proper alignment during connection.
Optionally, the connector housing includes a backside having at least one flange laterally extending outward from one peripheral surface. The flange engages one side of the mounting structure. The latch beam engages an opposite side of the mounting structure. The flange and latch beam retain the connector housing within the mounting structure.
In accordance without another embodiment, a connector assembly is provided having first and second connector housings having first and second mating faces and sidewalls defining outer perimeters thereof. First and second cavities are provided to retain contacts in the first and second connector housings, respectively. The contacts in the first and second connector housings are mateable with one another when joined. A first mounting structure is included with a connector opening having an inner perimeter that accepts the first connector housing. A space is provided between the inner perimeter of the connector housing and the outer perimeter of the first connector housing. The space permits lateral movement between the first connector housing and mounting structure. A latch assembly is formed with the first connector housing to retain the first connector housing in the connector opening while permitting movement between the first connector housing and the mounting structure.
In accordance with one alternative embodiment, the latch assembly includes latch beams formed integral with sidewalls and projecting outward and rearward from the side walls.
In accordance with at least one alternative embodiment, an electrical connector assembly is provided having a connector housing with a mating face and a wire receiving face. A mating cavity is formed in the mating face and a plurality of chambers are provided in the connector housing with each chamber having a front end opening onto the mating face and a rear end opening onto the wire receiving face. A plurality of contacts are provided, in which each contact is secured in one of the chambers. The chambers are arranged in at least two rows with chambers in adjacent rows being staggered with respect to one another. Optionally, the rows are shifted laterally with respect to one another. The distance that the rows are shifted may be approximately half of the width of a chamber.
Optionally, each chamber may include a body section and a notched slot extending along, and projecting outward from, one wall of the main body. The notched slots of the chambers in adjacent rows are directed toward and overlapping one another. Optionally, the chambers in a first row may extend into a space between chambers in a second row that are adjacent to the first row of chambers. The chambers in the first and second rows form a partial, overlapping pattern. Optionally, chambers in an upper row include notched slots extending downward into insulated spacers between chambers in a lower row located immediately below and adjacent the upper row of chambers.
Optionally, a power contact may be provided with a base portion securely retained within a corresponding chamber and a lead portion extending from the base portion into the cavity and a wire retention barrel extending rearward from the base section that is adapted to be securely crimped to a power wire. Optionally, a plurality of contacts may be securely retained in the chambers with each contact including a wire crimping barrel and each contact formed with a substantially similar shape and configuration.
Optionally, contacts may be provided that include wire crimping barrels extending from rear ends thereof. Contacts in a first row of chambers may be oriented, such that the wire crimping barrels are located near the bottom of the contacts and contacts in a second row may be oriented with the wire crimping barrels located toward the top of the contacts.
In accordance with at least one embodiment, an electrical connector system is provided having first and second connectors with first and second mating faces, respectively, mateable with one another. Contact cavities are formed in the first and second connectors and have at least one opening at the first and second mating faces. Contacts are secured in the contact cavities. The contact cavities are arranged with at least one upper and one lower contact cavity. The upper contact cavity contains a contact that is oriented with respect to a housing vertical axis in a first direction, while the lower cavity includes a contact oriented in a second direction with respect to the housing vertical axis that differs from the first direction.
Optionally, the contact secured in the first connector may include blade sections that are oriented in a first direction with the contacts turned upright when mounted in a first set of cavities and oriented in a second direction with the contacts turned downward when provided in a second set of cavities.